Velma Louise Underwood, 83, of Russell, Kansas, died on Wednesday, Marych 07, 2018, at the Russell Regional Hospital in Russell, Kansas.
Services are pending at this time and cremation has been selceted by the family. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangments.
RENO COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities have identified the remains found in rural Reno County.
On Saturday, March 3, Deputies from the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and an Investigator from the Reno County Coroner’s Office responded to rural farm property North of Haven, Kansas on a report from the landowner that the remains of a human had been found while working his land, according to a media release.
The remains and other items at the scene appeared to be that of a female. The remains were transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center for identification.
On Monday, Dr. Kipper, a Pathologist with the Forensic Science Center, advised Reno County Authorities say the remains had been positively identified by dental records as Laura Lee Dorey, 17 years of age of Haven.
Laura had been reported as a missing person by her family on June 13.
The cause of death is still under investigation and any information should be forwarded to the Reno County Sheriff’s Office.
Geraldine “Jerry” Shaw, age 86, passed away Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at Sheridan County Health Complex, Long Term Care, Hoxie, Kansas. She was born September 27, 1931 in Quinter to M.A. and Osie (Stubbs) Gillespie.
Jerry was a 1949 graduate of Grainfield High School. She was united in marriage to Curtis Shaw on June 19, 1949 in Wichita. They were married for 51 years until his death on March 3, 2001. For 54 years, Jerry worked as a bookkeeper for Shaw Motor Company. She was a member of the Grainfield United Methodist Church and American Legion Auxiliary. She will be remembered for her kind spirit, quick wit, and sarcasm.
Survivors include a daughter, Jann (Herman) Zerr of Grainfield; a son, Gene Shaw of Grainfield; eight grandchildren, Brian (Silvia) Zerr of New York City, Brett Zerr of Chicago, Ryan Shaw of Oakley, Lee (Evan) Miller of Kansas City, Missouri, Miles (Tara) Shaw of Oakley, Dillon (Jamie) Shaw of Salina, Kyle Shaw of Grainfield, Dayna (Jonathan) Alexander of Garden City; and six great-grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters-in-law, Loretta Shaw and Beulah Gillespie. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; three brothers, Jack, Bill, and Don Gillespie; and three sisters, Joy Coberly, Betty Priefert, and Shirley Verhoeff.
Funeral service will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, March 10, 2018 at the United Methodist Church, Grainfield. Burial will be in the Grainfield Cemetery.
Visitation will be Friday evening, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Schmitt Funeral Home, Quinter.
Memorial contributions are suggested to Grainfield United Methodist Church, Grainfield American Legion, or Grainfield Opera House. Contributions made to the organization may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 South Main, Quinter, KS 67752.
Condolences may be left online at www.schmittfuneral.com.
TOPEKA – Larned State Hospital (LSH), one of the two state-operated psychiatric hospitals in Kansas administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), has been granted full accreditation by The Joint Commission. The accreditation was effective beginning December 9, 2017, and is valid for 36 months, according to a media release.
The Joint Commission is a nonprofit organization that accredits more than 21,000 US health care organizations and programs. A majority of state governments recognize Joint Commission accreditation as a condition of licensure for the receipt of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.
“Joint Commission accreditation is known as an indicator of quality treatment and care nationwide,” KDADS Secretary Tim Keck said. “I want to acknowledge all the hard work LSH staff and management put in to be granted this status. I am incredibly proud of the work that has been done there.”
“After a period of concern at the hospital during the summer, LSH had two excellent surveys in December,” Secretary Keck said.
Bill Rein, LSH Superintendent, was informed of The Joint Commission’s decision on accreditation in a letter dated February 27 from Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, Chief Operating Officer for the Joint Commission. The letter said, “Based upon the submission of your evidence of standards compliance on February 9, 2018, and the successful on-site unannounced Medicare deficiency follow-up event conducted on January 19, 2018, the areas of deficiency have been removed.”
“The Joint Commission is also recommending your organization for continued Medicare certification effective December 9, 2017,” the letter said.
Superintendent Bill Rein said, “It took a lot of intense work on the part of staff to get us to where we are, and they deserve a great deal of credit for their commitment and tenacity. I am extremely pleased with results they achieved.”
All conditions of participation for Medicare certification and all standards for The Joint Commission accreditation are now listed as compliant. As a result, LSH has no requirements for improvement.
The central offices for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and CMS Region 7 have been notified of these findings.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bipartisan group of Kansas lawmakers is pushing to restore job protections for public school teachers that conservative legislators previously stripped from them.
The House gave first-round approval Wednesday to a bill that would guarantee tenure for thousands of teacher statewide. The 72-48 vote advances the measure to another, final vote Thursday.
The bill would require school districts that do not want to renew a three-year teacher’s contract to allow the teacher to have the matter decided by an independent hearing officer.
Teachers statewide had such a right before conservative Republicans enacted a 2014 law leaving the issue to local school boards and most decided against such reviews.
GOP conservatives argued that the change made firing bad teachers easier. But the bill’s supporters said Kansas needs to respect teachers.
CONCORDIA —The Cloud County Community College Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of college president Dr. Mark Smith at a special meeting Wednesday morning. Smith had been president since Feb. 1, according to a media release.
“I am deeply saddened that I have had to make the painful decision to respectfully resign as president of Cloud County Community College and return to Temple, Texas, due to some unforeseen personal family and medical concerns that have arisen,” Smith said in an email to employees.
His last day at Cloud will be Friday, April 13.
The board of trustees is exploring all options to find the next president of Cloud County Community College.
Founded in 1965, the College serves the educational needs of 12 counties in North Central Kansas. The first campus was located in Concordia, however, services are provided at 28 other sites, including the Geary County Campus in Junction City.
“It’s with deep regret that we accept Dr. Smith’s resignation,” said CCCC board chair Greg Askren. “The college will move on. Family comes first, and we absolutely understand that he needs to be back in Temple with his family.”
Smith said he has greatly enjoyed his time at Cloud County and in Concordia.
“The city of Concordia and surrounding communities are truly blessed to have Cloud County Community College within their community,” he said. “It is very clear each of you are very passionate about serving the learners and all work tirelessly to help each of them fulfill their educational aspirations. Cloud has an amazing leadership team that will continue to lead the college to bigger and better things.”
Strong winds led to a surprise for at least one Hays resident Tuesday.
At about 1 p.m. Tuesday, Alvera Reichert noticed something out of the ordinary had blown into her yard in the 2600 block of Augusta Lane.
A full wedding dress and veil in a preservation bag had been whipped onto her property — and Reichert is hoping to reunite the dress with its owner.
“I didn’t catch the wedding bouquet,” she laughed. “I got something better.”
So … if you happen to be missing a wedding dress, Reichert can be contacted at (785) 301-2732.
GEARY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating more students for alleged school threat.
On Tuesday, Junction City Police Chief Dan Breci confirmed that a Junction City High School student was arrested on suspicion of Criminal Threat at the JCHS career campus late on Friday afternoon. This is the eighth USD 475 student arrested over the past two weeks including six Junction City Middle School students and one at the Freshman Success Academy.
The police chief said Tuesday night that he hoped that this was the end of it, in terms of number of arrests.
Despite that, Wednesday’s police log reported another Junction City Middle School was arrested just after 9:30 Tuesday morning on suspicions of criminal threat.
On Monday, police department spokesperson Captain Trish Giordano issued a statement on the arrests
FHSU University Relations
Fort Hays State University’s Women’s Leadership project and the Defense Tactics Club have partnered up to host a free self-defense workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 10, in Cunningham Hall, room 110, on the FHSU campus.
Community members, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend. Attendees should wear athletic pants or shorts and socks. No jewelry is allowed.
To register, visit the Women’s Leadership Project’s Facebook page at https://bit.ly/2H2tS8T or go to https://goo.gl/forms/
The Women’s Leadership Project is designed to educate, inspire and empower women to be the leaders of tomorrow. This initiative offers year-round comprehensive educational activities that promote leadership development for women of all ages.
The Defense Tactics Club focuses on public service and safety awareness. The group promotes personal safety through a variety of self-defense techniques, including situational awareness, verbal de-escalation and grappling.
By JIM MCLEAN
Republicans in the Kansas House on Tuesday unveiled a plan they say will make schools safer.
Really more of a plan to get a plan, it calls for the Kansas State Department of Education and state emergency response and law enforcement agencies to develop statewide standards for “safe and secure school buildings.”
The standards would provide districts with best-practice guidelines for securing buildings and training staff and students how to respond in emergencies. The education department would provide districts with technical assistance. Financial assistance would come from a new $5 million state grant program.
“We know this will make a difference,” said House Speaker Ron Ryckman, flanked by several Republican lawmakers. No Democrats attended their hastily called news conference.
The GOP plan, developed in the aftermath of the Feb. 14 Florida school shooting that left 17 dead, would encourage Kansas school administrators to use a program developed by the NRA to educate students about firearm safety. But unlike a previous bill, it wouldn’t preclude the use of other gun safety curricula.
“It’s not a mandate,” Ryckman said. “It’s a suggestion.”
Rep. Brenda Dietrich, a former Topeka school superintendent, backed the plan but said care should be taken not to turn schools into fortresses.
“Our buildings need to be safe and secure without a doubt,” she said. “They also need to be warm and nurturing and welcoming.”
Ryckman, an Olathe Republican, brushed aside questions about the future of other measures intended to reduce gun deaths. He said GOP lawmakers were united on the school security plan. They’re still split on other proposals, including one that would allow guns to be temporarily confiscated from people seen as immediate suicide risks or domestic violence threats.
Senate leaders have pledged to give that bill a hearing but it hasn’t been scheduled. Sen. Barbara Bollier, a Mission Hills Republican and sponsor of that “red flag” bill, has said if necessary she will attempt to force a vote on it.
Two House-passed gun bills cleared a Senate committee earlier this week. One would expand the list of people prohibited from owning firearms to include those convicted of domestic violence and those subject to restraining orders to keep them from stalking or harassing others. The other would allow people with permits from other states to also carry concealed firearms in Kansas.
Jim McLean is managing director of the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks
Jimmie L. Jeffery, age 82, passed away on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at the Scott County Hospital in Scott City, Kansas. He was born on October 28, 1935 in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, the son of Roy & Beth Hein Jeffery. A resident of Scott City, Kansas since 1960 moving from Wisconsin, he was a Paint Contractor and Roofer.
He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Scott City, Kansas.
On March 24, 1956 he married Nathella McLaughlin in Merrillan, Wisconsin. She survives.
Survivors include his Wife – Nathella Jeffery of Scott City, Kansas, One Son – Wade & Shawn Jeffery of Hays, Kansas, Two Daughters – Jimalene & Randy Haddon Of Ellinwood, Kansas, Nathella & Calvin Humburg of Ness City, Kansas, Six Grandchildren and Three Great Grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his Parents.
Memorial Services will be held at Price & Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 10, 2018 with the Rev. Robert Nuckolls presiding.
Memorials may be given to the Park Lane Nursing Home or Scott County Hospital in care of Price & Sons Funeral Homes.
There will be no calling times.
Marvin Dean Taylor was born on September 7, 1934 near Tasco, in Sheridan County, Kansas, to Orval and Bernice (Haynes) Taylor. He passed away on March 6, 2018 at the Sheridan County Long Term Care in Hoxie.
He grew up on a farm, and began doing chores and running the tractor at an early age. Whenever they weren’t working, Marvin and his brothers could be found playing football, basketball, or baseball, or pitching horseshoes. Marvin was educated in the schools of Sheridan County graduating from Sheridan Community High School with the class of 1952. Marvin attended and graduated from Kansas State University with a BS degree in Agriculture in 1957.
After a period of active duty in the US Army, he returned to the farm, and farmed in partnership with his father and his brother Harold, raising wheat, alfalfa, and feeding cattle. After their father’s retirement, Marvin and Harold continued farming in partnership. The partnership lasted more than sixty years.
He married his high school sweetheart, Kathleen Smith on August 21, 1953, and they attended Kansas State University together. They became the parents of Jeannine, Neil, and Daniel. After 55 years of marriage, Kathleen passed away. Marvin was later blessed by the companionship of Patricia Blair during the last five years of his life.
He is survived by children Jeannine of the home; Neil and wife Jolene, Overland Park, KS; and Daniel and wife Stacey, Olathe, KS; five grandchildren: Catherine Taylor, Anna Taylor, Scott Taylor, Matthew Taylor, and Emma Taylor; brothers Harold and wife Arvilla of Hoxie; Ralfe and wife Lorena of Payson, AZ; Larry and wife Brenda of Overland Park, KS; Keith and wife Paula of Overland Park, KS; brother-in-law Bob Smith of Westminster, CA; sister-in-law Shirley Taylor of Grand Junction, CO; brother-in-law Tom Wentz of Pasadena, CA; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen, his parents, sisters Ellen Mae and Ruby Smith, and brother Dale.
A funeral service will be held Saturday, March 10, 2018, at the Hoxie Presbyterian Church at 11:00 A.M. with Reverend Dixie Anders officiating. Interment will be in the Hoxie City Cemetery following the Service. Visitation will be held Friday, March 9, 2018, from 2:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. with family receiving friends from 6:00 P.M. until 7:30 P.M. at the Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Sheridan County Benefit Walk, the Sheridan County Historical Society, or the Sheridan County Library. On-line condolences may be left at www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com.
Betty Jane (Barcus) Wagner, age 95, passed away Tuesday March 6, 2018 at Meadowlark Hills in Manhattan, KS. She was born the daughter of Ira (Ike) and Blanche (Dillon) Barcus on March 20, 1922 in Lebanon, Kansas. Betty attended Barefoot Nation, a one room school, then Portis schools through her sophomore year. She transferred to Smith Center for junior and senior years. It was at Smith Center High where she met her future husband, Junior (J.S.) Wagner. Betty and J.S. were married June 9, 1945 at Jacksonville, North Carolina. Betty and J.S. were blessed with three children, Nancy, James and Joel. Betty was a wonderful wife and mother. Betty was a cancer survivor in the 1950’s but never let the surgery or the after effects interfere with her devotion to family and community.
Betty was active in the church, legion auxiliary and school activities. She enjoyed gardening and baking. Her holiday meals were her pride and joy.
Betty is survived by her husband of 72 years (J.S.), daughter Nancy (John) Weber, Oakley KS, sons James (Susan), Topeka KS, Joel (Diane), Manhattan KS, and grandson Greg Wagner, Manhattan KS. Betty was preceded in death by her parents and grandson, Joey Weber.
Click HERE for service details.
